Landmark service station sale and commercial property sale

A high profile service station and car yard property with more than half a century of association with the local community has been placed on the market for sale. The property in Pukekohe just south of Auckland is owned by the Howe and Weston families, …Local landmark service station sale fuels interest in commercial property sale

A high profile service station and car yard property with more than half a century of association with the local community has been placed on the market for sale.

The property in Pukekohe just south of Auckland is owned by the Howe and Weston families, and has been since 1952. Up until 2006, a service station and car yard on the site operated under the Howe and Weston names, before the businesses were sold to Mobil and a Honda dealership. While the businesses changed names, the Howe and Weston families retained ownership of the land.

The 2496 square metre site on a major roundabout entry point into the town centre is now home to a Mobil service station and associated automatic car wash, and also houses the Honda dealership South City Cars Pukekohe Ltd. Pukekohe has been identified as the fastest growing urban area in New Zealand.

The Mobil operation has a lease expiring in 2015 with two further five year rights off renewal. Annual rental is $183,770 per annum. Meanwhile, South City Cars is currently on a month-to-month lease potentially running through until 2018 and generating $70,000 per annum.

The Mobil service station comprises a typical six lane service station forecourt covered by a 250 square metre steel and timber famed canopy designed at a height which allows trucks access to the pumps. Meanwhile, the 79 square metre concrete block wall retail and customer service building adjoins the 57 square metre car wash with self-draining concrete floor.

The property is being jointly marketed for sale through auction on March 7 by Mike Adams of Bayleys Auckland and Jason Woodyard from Barfoot & Thompson Pukekohe. Mike Adams said the ‘gateway location’ of this high profile corner site would ensure tenants on the property would always benefit from the town’s continuing prosperity.

““The Mobil service station for example occupies the perfect ‘first and last’ location – it’s the last service station on the town’s business zone before drivers enter the commercial centre of Pukekohe, and by consequence is the first service station coming out of the CBD,” Mr Adams said.

“With the added benefit of sitting on a roundabout, this ensures a two-way flow of traffic has easy access to the forecourt pumps. From a tenancy perspective, motorists will always need fuel, and by occupying a prime location so close to town, it’s hard to see such a big chain as Mobil giving up this location.

“Meanwhile, the position of being on a key arterial road in and out of town also underpins the high-profile attraction of the adjoining showroom building. As Pukekohe’s population continues to grow, as has been forecast by town planners, traffic volumes will increase at a parallel ratio – something which all retailers look for when seeking out new showroom locations,” Mr Adams said.

Auckland City Council’s latest long-term strategic planning paper for Pukekohe says that the township “will play an important role in the future of the district – accommodating the largest proportion of the former Franklin District’s growth.”

“Pukekohe is the main service centre in the district and is anticipated to grow substantially from an approximate population of 19,700 in 2010 to approximately 40,000 by 2051. In the eight years since 2001, Pukekohe has been the fastest growing urban area in New Zealand.”

The Auckland Council growth management paper also notes: “As the main population and service centre in the former Franklin District, Pukekohe is suitable for accommodating a significant proportion of new business and residential growth in the district.

“Pukekohe’s central role in the local economy will continue into the future. Its proximity to metropolitan Auckland, a thriving rural economy, along with an increasing residential population, will be drivers for economic growth. The larger population will provide critical mass to support a wider range off business and employment opportunities.”

Mr Woodyard said that as Pukekohe’s bulk retail and light industrial zones continued to radiate outward around the existing commercial fringe, the Manukau Road/Massey Ave site for sale would cement its place as a pivotal landholding between the two destinations. The venue is just a few kilometres from landmark Pukekohe Raceway where the New Zealand leg of the Australian V8 super-cars race is held.

“Under the Auckland City Council plan, the intersection of Manukau Road and Massey Ave delineates two of the most important zones for any growing town. We are confident that the long-term appeal of owning one of Pukekohe’s most strategic sites will generate considerable interest from the investment sector,” Mr Woodyard said.